Green’s Dictionary of Slang

later phr.

(orig. US black) see you later, goodbye.

1954		‘Bop Dict.’ Mad mag. Oct. 20: I’ll see you – Later.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 16: ‘This is me [...] Later on.’ ‘Later’, they said.
1961		J.A. Williams Night Song (1962) 159: ‘Later,’ Yards said [...] ‘See you,’ Eagle said.
1970		A. Young Snakes (1971) 144: ‘Later, Shakes.’ ‘Later, baby.’.
1973		E. Bunker No Beast So Fierce 12: ‘Later on, brother,’ Leroy said, sticking his hand through the bars to shake goodbye.
1989		D. Waters Heathers [film script] hc: Come on, Veronica. vs: [To JD] Later. jd: Definitely.
1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 121: Lates, Dave.
1996		P. Beatty White Boy Shuffle 67: Let’s get together later this week. Later.
1997		C. Newland Scholar 126: He found his exact destination in a battered A to Z, then made his way to the front door. ‘Later on, Shannon,’ he yelled at his sister’s door.
1999		(con. 1979–80) A. Wheatle Brixton Rock (2004) 76: I have to dally now, so laters.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 175: You’ll know me when you see me. Later!
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 126: later’z Goodbye, as in ‘see you later’. Current teen slang.
2004		E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 45: This sucks ass, man. Later.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 32: I’ll pick you up laters, Urb.
2010		K. Richards Life 222: Marlon Brando [...] tried to seduce Anita and me together. ‘Later, pal’.
2012		J. Fagan Panopticon (2013) 66: ‘Where are you off to?’ I ask [...] ‘Clap-clinic. Later, Anais’.

In phrases

later, tater

(US campus) a farewell.

1978		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 3: later tater – variation of ‘Later!’.
1996		Eble Sl. and Sociability 39: The farewell Later expands by rhyme to the improbable Later, tater! (undoubtedly also motivated by the picturesque ‘See you later, alligator. After while, crocodile’ made popular by a 1950s rock-n-roll song by Bill Haley and the Comets).